The Lessons I WILL Teach My Daughters

100 Lessons I WILL Teach My Daughters

1. Chocolate is only a temporary fix.
2. A properly-fitting bra is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
3. Your happiness is your happiness and yours alone. 
4. You are NOT responsible for someone else's happiness
5. How to apply red lipstick.  Make sure to wear the crap out of that red lipstick
6. A boyfriend does not validate your existence.  EVER.
7. Eat the extra slice of pizza.
8. Wear what makes you feel gracefully at ease.
9. Love the world unconditionally.
10. Seek beauty in all things.
11. Buy your friends dinner when you can.
12. Wear sunscreen like it’s your second job.
13. Try with all your might to keep in contact with far-away friends.
14. Make the world feel at ease around you.
15. You are too pretty to walk with your head down.
16. Order a cheeseburger on the first date if you want to.
17. Never, ever bite your nails.
18. Swipe on some of that red lipstick, put on your leather jacket, and do something rebellious.
19. Learn from your mistakes that night.

20. Dental hygiene is not multiple choice.
21. Your GPA is not a confession of your character.  All I ask is that you try your best.
22. There is strength in breaking down.
23. Yoga. Tai Chi, simple meditation, bible study, bubble baths.  I don't care what but find SOMETHING to restore your inner peace.
24. Pick a tea.
25. Take care of your feet.
26.Learn alternatives for cleaning products and medications even if you don;t use them.
27. Even if you’re tall, wear the heels anyway.
28. Classy is a relative term.
29. Drink whiskey if you like whiskey; drink wine if you like wine, or Pabst Blue Ribbon strait from the can if you want. 
30.Pretending to like something to impress someone else will only make you look the fool when the truth comes out. 
31. Like what you like; sci-fi nerds unite!
32. Offer no explanations for weirdness.  Being weird is like being a limited edition.  It means you are special and one of a kind.
33. Advil and Gatorade.
34. You are no less of a woman when you’re in sweats and gym shoes than a woman in stilettos and a pencil skirt.
35. A woman is a woman is a woman.
36. Love your fellow woman with all your heart and soul (this means all your sisters), there is no room to be catty in sisterhood.
37. Cry, uninhibited, with your friends.
38. Laugh until you can’t breathe with your friends.
39. Tell me everything.
40. Exercise to be strong and healthy. A beautiful soul needs a sturdy vessel.
41. There is no shame in hoping for love, but there is shame in being desperate for it.
42. My cooking is the best cooking.
43. Do not take sex lightly. EVER.
44. I mean it.  SERIOUSLY.
45. Anna Karenina. I’d like it if you read it.
46. The world spins on the principle of inherent tragedy.
47. Do not be blind to it.
48. Men are effectively idiots until somewhere between the ages of 26-30. (YES, even your father)

49. Carbohydrates are not the enemy.
50. Involve yourself in an organized activity of your choosing.
51. Listen to classical music occasionally.
52. Take hot baths.
53. Epsom salts and baking soda can do wonders to detox your body and soul.
54. You are more than capable.
55. I promise.
56. Don’t smile if you don’t mean it.
57. Mean your anger. Mean your sadness. Mean your pain.  Never be fake.
58. I am always, ALWAYS listening.  Even if it's something I don't want to hear, I am still listening.
59. Travel.
60. Get stuck in a foreign country with $4.67 in your account or some other desperate situation.  Put on your big girl panties and deal with it.  When you make it home call me and tell me all about it.
61. Make me furious.
62. Make me worry.
63. Come home smelly, tired, and with a good story.  Remember I am always listening and I want to hear it!
64. Your story isn’t really yours, remember you are a compilation of others' stories.
65. Remember this when you meet someone for the first time, even if it will be the last time you ever see them.
66. Well-fitting and modest is ALWAYS sexier than too small and tight.  Be comfortable, be you.
67. Who cares if glitter isn’t tasteful?

68. It’s too much makeup if you have to ask.  You make you beautiful, not the makeup.
69. Learn to bake for when you’re sad and I’m not there.
70. Humility and subservience are not synonyms.
71. Wash your face twice per day.
72. Be gentle with your skin.
73. Science is really cool.
74. So is literature.
75. And history.
76. And math.
77. There is no substitute for fresh air.
78. Carry your weight.  Love yourself and your body.  Love the skin you're in.
79. Make up for it later if you can’t.
80. That salad is not better than pasta and it never will be.

81. You’re fooling no one.
82. Find at least three green vegetables you can tolerate.
83. A smoothie is not a meal.  There is no such thing as a meal replacement.
84. Expect the best from everyone.
85. People will let you down.
86. Bask in the sun (wearing a sunhat and SPF 90).
87. There is a certain kind of man you need to avoid at all costs.
88. You’ll know it when you meet him.  If you are unsure, ask your sister.  That's what sisters are for.
89. What other people say is right doesn’t always feel right.
90. What feels right is where your happiness is.
91. Give thoughtful gifts.  Always.  A prepaid credit card gift card is not thoughtful. 
92. Form an opinion.
93. Stick to it.
94. Exfoliation in moderation.
95. Argue with people when you need to.
96. If it’s worth fighting for, fight fiercely.
97. Don’t fight for acceptance.  You shouldn't have to.
98. Take pictures, but not too many.  Put down the camera sometimes and make some memories.
99. Follow your bliss at all costs. (I’m cutting you off at 22 though).
100.  Ice cream, however, might just be a permanent fix.




*Based on 101 Lessons I Will Teach My Daughter by Leah Froehle as seen on Thought Catalog